Your Lifestyle and Your Baby, Essay Example

Your baby’s health depends on you. Everybody wants a healthy baby. The below information leaflet is designed to give you information on how to avoid health risks and birth complications by following a healthy lifestyle.

Alcohol
• Drinking alcohol can damage the nervous system of the baby in the womb.
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome can result in brain or nervous system dysfunction, facial abnormalities and delayed growth.
• ADHD and behavioral disorders of young children are linked to mothers’ alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
• Alcohol in the first trimester can affect healthy organ development.
• Changing your alcohol consumption habits can help you stay healthy. Ask for help.Drugs
• Drug use can result in low birth weight, disability and, in extreme cases, death of the baby.
• Lung, eye, infection and future learning problems are associated with mothers’ drug use.
• Babies can develop an addiction in the womb.
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is more common among babies whose mother used drugs during the pregnancy.
• There are several treatments available for free to help you stay off drugs that can harm your baby.

Tobacco
• Smoking can reduce the amount of oxygen your baby gets in the womb.
• Smoking is likely to increase the baby’s heart rate.
• Your chances of stillbirth and miscarriage are increased if you smoke during your pregnancy.
• Your baby is more likely to develop respiratory problems later in life.
• Get in touch with a cessation clinic to see how they can help you quit for the future of your baby.

Talk to your maternity clinic today to find out about the support available and get advice on how to beat addictions for your baby’s future.
For more tips and information and the list of support phone numbers please visit http://www.unbornintheusa.org/